“They’re all excellent candidates,” David said.
A lot of help he was. Who to choose? Cezario’s camouflage and Pluto’s cloning I had no problem with. But the thought of my daughter being underwater with Persia, who looked to be no more than fifteen years old, didn’t make the top of my list. Neither did putting her at risk of being electrocuted by Vasilika’s storm cloud. Nonetheless, these deities were all I had to work with. And in case of an emergency, they were all I had to rely on to protect my child.
“I’ve made my choices,” I said, and the lot of deities planted their stares on me. “I hope warriors as yourselves like kids, because you’ve all just earned your nanny certifications.” They looked at me with baffled expressions. “Frederick will fill you in on the details and take care of your scheduling.”
“And I’ll take care of your heads if anything happens to that baby,” Galilea warned them. She stepped closer to the group of four. “I’ll be watching you like a lion watches a hawk, watches a snake, watches a mouse, watches a piece of cheese on a mousetrap.”
“Would you settle down?” I told Galilea. “No need for food-chain analogies.” I walked up behind her and pulled her away from Pluto’s face. “I suspect none of you were anticipating this mission, if you can call it that. Frederick will answer any questions you may have. Thank you all for coming.” I turned to Frederick. “And thank you too, Commander.”
Frederick tipped his head at me, and I left the room with David at my side.
“You did well,” David said once we headed up the stairs.
“Yeah?”
He nodded. “Although, having them attack Frederick…”
“Oh, geez. I know.” I dropped my head back. “It was horrible of me. But now I see the depth of their loyalty, including Frederick’s.”
“I thought he’d walk out on you afterward.”
“So did I.”
David stopped walking halfway up the stairs. I turned to look to at him when I noticed he wasn’t behind me.
“Doesn’t that tell you something?” he asked.
“It does,” I said. “I was wrong about him not trusting me to lead. I’ll apologize to him as soon as I see him again.”
“You really should.” David nodded. “He didn’t look too happy with you when we left.”
“I noticed.”
We walked up the rest of the stairs in silence. I opened the door to our room. I panicked when I saw Faith wasn’t in her crib, but then I remembered Nyx was taking care of her while we dealt with the fabulous four nannies downstairs.
“David,” I said, “before I forget, can you help me with something tomorrow morning?”
“Of course.” He closed the door behind him. “What is it?”
“Well, I was thinking…” I slid my arms around his waist, batting my eyelashes. “I need to test out my strength on someone.”
“You want me to be your punching bag?”
“No.” I stepped back and looked at the floor, then up at him again. “Well, sort of. But, I mean, you can punch back.”
David let out a short laugh. “Absolutely not.”
“Oh, come on. It’ll be like fake wrestling on TV. Except, I’m going to hit you really hard, and you have to reciprocate.”
“Oh, I see.” He sat on the bed. “So we’re calling it fake fighting, but it’s real.”
I tapped his chest with one finger. “That’s right.”
He tapped my nose with his index finger. “No.”
“David… Please?”
“How could you even think to ask me to do this?” He frowned at me as he tugged his shoes off. “I’m not hitting my wife. The answer is no, and it’s final.”
“But you’ll be helping me train,” I tried to reason with him.
“Isis.” He took my hand. “Men—real men—don’t hit their wives.”
“Can’t you see this is a totally different situation?” I pulled my hand out of his and placed it on my hip. “Can we be adults about this? I’m asking for your help. And wasn’t it you who told me you’d help me anyway you could?”
“That’s not fair.”
“How about a compromise?” I asked. He motioned with his hand to continue. “What if I wear the leather bustier Galilea got me to go with the boots I’m wearing? You know, the one you liked so much, but were too embarrassed to admit in front of everyone? Although, fitting these overgrown gems into it,” I looked down at my cleavage, “might be a problem.”
He eyed me. Considered my request for a moment. “Seven o’clock okay?”
“Six.”
He nodded. “I’ll set my alarm.”
CHAPTER 36
For the first time since she was born, Faith slept a full eight hours that night. Not me. I got up to check on her several times. Was it maternal instinct heightening my anxiety and waking me in a panic every two hours to make sure she was breathing? David, on the other hand, slept as soundly as Faith. Both snored the same, too.
From the other side of our door, I heard whispering, followed by the sound of departing steps. I cracked the door open and found Cezario standing against the hallway wall.
“Good morning, madam,” he said in a soft voice. “Everything okay?”
“Morning. Yes. We’re fine.” I stepped out into the hallway and quietly closed the door behind me. I didn’t want to wake David. “Who were you talking to?”
“Vasilika. Her shift ended. I’m taking over the post.”
“Oh.” Frederick was proving to be more efficient than I thought. “Cezario, I want to ask you something. You’ve spent a lot of time with the battalion, right?”
“Well, I’m part of it, madam.” He nodded.
“I’m aware, which is why I know you’re the right person to ask,” I told him. “What do the troops say about me?” He parted his lips to speak, but I interrupted. “And don’t lie to me. I don’t like liars.”
“They wonder about you,” he said. “Wonder if you’re real. I mean, if you’re the true Marker of Hope, madam.”
“Do you believe I am?” I asked, and he nodded. “Why?”
“Because if I choose to believe you aren’t her, all hope disappears. And if that happens, well then, everyone and everything tied to this world is already gone.”
I meditated on his words for a moment.
“And the rest? What do they believe?” I asked.
“I can only speak for myself. I don’t know what the others think.” He shifted his weight to one leg. “May I ask you a question, madam?” I nodded. “Why the concern?”
“I’m trying to understand why, even with doubts, they continue to follow me.” I scratched the back of my head. “Do you think I should address this matter with the warriors?”
“Madam, I think Commander Frederick would be better suited to answer your question. I’m not qualified to—”
“If I wanted Frederick’s opinion, I’d ask him, Cezario.”
“Right… Sorry. Well, I suppose speaking to the battalion would alleviate some doubt. Out of all of us, only about thirty warriors have ever seen you in person. And the others think of you as the princess from their favorite childhood fairy tale.”
“A princess?” That was a kick in the gut. “Like a damsel in distress, rather than a heroine?” I took a second to settle the irritation simmering in my core. “What you’re saying is they don’t think I’m capable of leading.”
He looked down at his feet. There was no need for Cezario to answer. His silence was enough to verify my theory. But I wasn’t angry. I’d known it all along, and I refused to let the fact discourage me. Because if I wanted to save my child, my family, my world, from vanishing from existence, I didn’t have time to waste on hurt feelings. I had to refocus my energy on what I needed in the now—to get dressed and start on my training.
“Thanks for the talk,” I said, reaching for the door. Before I turned the knob, I glanced back at Cezario and said, “And thanks for putting your trust in me.”
“And you in me
, madam.”
***
Sexiness and comfort were two words I’d never heard mentioned together, and today, I found out why. The black leather corset I was wearing was lined with metal plates. It hugged my body so tightly I swore it was cutting off the flow of blood to my brain. Wearing a full suit of armor would’ve probably been less trouble to put on. I fought to squeeze into the damn thing for twenty minutes. My torso was an unbending, rock-solid shield. No wonder Galilea referred to it as a breastplate. I felt dizzy, and the high-heeled boots that went with the ensemble didn’t do much to help my head as I descended the stairs. I had the urge to call out for help with the climb down, but everyone—with the exception of David, who’d gone ahead of me to clear off the enclosed patio—was asleep. I didn’t want to call for Cezario either. He was nervous enough at his post. I’d left him looking after Faith with strict instructions to call on Nyx if she cried.
When I entered the room, I spotted rubber mats laid out on the floor. The rattan chairs and table, which normally sat in the center of the room, were stacked in a neat column in a corner. David was looking down at his phone and drinking juice, unaware I’d arrived. I gave myself a minute to admire the curvature and chisel of his shirtless chest. Appreciated how the band of his sweatpants lay low on his hips. It may have been my imagination, or the fact I was in love with him, but he looked ten times hotter than the boy I’d met a year ago.
“Good morning,” I said.
David glanced up at me and choked on his drink. He took a second to study me from head to toe, and then set his juice on the floor before walking over to me. The tip of his fingers touched my cheek, and then slid down my neck and over my shoulder. He lowered his head and kissed my lips.
“This look suits you,” he told me. “You couldn’t be more beautiful if you tried.”
“Thanks. I was just thinking the same about you,” I said. “Are you ready to have your ass handed to you?”
“Right.” He laughed. “Take your boots off. You’ll ruin the mats.”
“A little help?” I lifted my leg. “I don’t think I can bend over in this thing.”
“You’ll get used to it,” he told me. “My armor was uncomfortable in the beginning. Your body will mold to it.”
“I didn’t know you wore armor,” I said as he pulled off a boot.
“We wear it exclusively to battle.” He set the boots aside. “Sure you want to do this with me?”
I nodded.
“Alright, then.”
David walked to the middle of the mats and signaled me to go at him. Tightening my fist, I approached him. I took a swing, and he caught my hand.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“You said you wanted me to contribute to your training. If you want to hit me, you’re going to have to figure out how to do it.”
“Fine,” I said, cocking an eyebrow at him. “Challenge accepted.”
I stepped to the side, and he mimicked me. I threw a punch, and he blocked it with his forearm. He caught my wrist and pulled me to him, jailing me in a tight embrace. I huffed, annoyed. He kissed my forehead and pushed me away.
“Try again,” he said.
This time, I went for his stomach. He twisted sideways, evading my fist. I aimed for his face, and he caught my wrist for a second time. Using his foot, he swiped my legs off the mat, and, suddenly, I was on my back, his elbow at my neck. He lowered his head and kissed my nose. I muttered expletives under my breath.
“This is more fun than I thought,” he said, smirking.
“Isn’t it?” I said, a trace of aggravation in my tone.
He helped me off the mat. This time, I didn’t hesitate in pouncing on him. I knocked him down and raised my fist, ready to strike. In a second’s time, David rolled me onto my back and pinned me against the floor. Instead of planting a kiss on me, he blew a raspberry on my cheek.
“Do you realize,” he said, lying on top of me, “I could’ve killed you three times in five minutes?”
“Are you trying to piss me off on purpose or are you going to tell me what it is I’m doing wrong?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” He rolled off me, and we rose to our feet. “Your eyes are giving you away. You look at your target before you throw a punch. Your reflexes are slow. When I saw you fighting Turpis, you were reacting without thinking about your next move. Your actions were spontaneous. Why aren’t you doing it now?”
“Because you’re not a nasty demon that’s trying to kill me?”
“Pretend I am.”
The clicking of heels approached, and I turned to see Galilea entering the room.
“What’s all this?” Galilea twirled a cigarette between her fingers. She did a double take when she saw me. “Whoa.” Her brows shot up high on her forehead. “Where’d that come from?”
“It’s the armor you gave me for Christmas,” I said.
“No, I meant your boobs.”
“It’s a side effect of motherhood,” I said. Galilea continued to ogle me. I crossed an arm over my torso, covering my chest. “Your gawk is making me prison-cellmate uncomfortable.”
“Don’t flatter yourself, darling. You’re not my type,” she said. “So what are the two of you doing in here?”
“Crash course in defense,” David told her.
“Eh.” She wrinkled her nose. “Sounds boring. Let me know when the sparring begins. I’ve been waiting for a good excuse to kick her ass for a while.”
Galilea turned and left, and David and I exchanged glances.
“She’s still upset at you,” David said, as if it weren’t plainly obvious.
“Too bad.” I shrugged. “At the moment, I don’t have time for her nonsense. Besides, she’ll get over it soon enough. You ready to go again?”
I didn’t give him a chance to respond. I swung at him with my left hand, and he blocked my hit. But he wasn’t expecting the kick to his shin or my right fist on his face. He went down like a block of steel. Sounded like one as he hit the floor, too.
“You okay?” I looked down at him. His eyes were closed. I panicked. “David?” No response. “Oh my…” I lowered myself next to him. Half a second later, I was flat on my back, bound to the floor by David’s hands, his legs straddling my waist. I blew out a huff of air. “You were faking?”
“That. Hurt,” David said.
“Really?” I was pleased with myself, but quickly rescinded the smile on my lips. “I mean, sorry.”
“Good job,” he said. “But you fight like a girl.”
“That’s sexist.” I frowned at him. “You trying to piss me off?”
“Yes, and by the looks of it, it’s working.” He smirked.
I mimicked him.
“Ready to go again?”
“Are you?” I challenged, and then charged at him.
For the next couple of hours, David explained to me what he called “the basics”. He showed me how to take my stance—dominant leg and hand in the back, non-dominant limbs in the front. He explained how my fists should always be at chin or cheekbone level for protection, and how my knees should be slightly bent. Then we moved on to pivoting for added power in each punch.
We took a break because Faith needed to be nursed. Nyx suggested she begin bottle feedings with baby formula so as not to interrupt my training. She reminded me how she’d raised three boys and knew what she was doing. Begrudgingly, I agreed and returned to the improvised gym.
David and I continued our practice. I landed several more clean hits, and still, he refused to hit me back. By noon, an audience gathered in the room. Frederick, Galilea, Galen, and the Doctors Gunn observed us in silence. Occasionally, I’d catch Galen glaring at Frederick, and vice versa.
“How am I doing so far?” I asked David.
“Great.” He wiped the sweat trailing down the side of his head.
“I’m in awe,” Dr. Gunn said. “The growth in your strength and speed are remarkable, Isis.”
“By your standards, maybe,” Galilea sai
d, “By ours, her reflexes are slow. Old-lady slow. No offense, Eileen.”
Eileen huffed at her.
“You won’t be able to keep up in battle, Isis.” Galilea shook her head. “Not like that.”
My ego deflated.
“Oh, love…” Frederick wrapped his arm around Galilea’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. Everyone’s start is rusty. Once madam’s confidence increases, I have no doubt she’ll be quicker than all of us.”
Galen snorted. “Commander, you’re quite the Madam Isis brownnoser. She doesn’t need your pretty words to puff her up. She needs you to be her instructor. But instead, here you stand, wasting time, flirting like the damn fool you are.”
Frederick seemed unfazed by Galen’s remark. Or at least, I thought. But he turned to me and said, “You should take a break. I feel you need to practice on reflexes and evading punches. And if it’s all right with both of you, I’d like to take over the lesson after lunch.”
David and I nodded.
“Now you’re talking.” Galilea’s grin reached her eyes. “Can I help?”
“Of course, love.” Frederick winked at her.
“Of course, love,” Galen repeated in a mocking tone. “Can you take your grimy paws off my woman?”
“Your woman? Put a ring on it, and then I might consider.” Galilea slid out of Frederick’s embrace. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a baby niece to check on.” She winked at Frederick, and then gave Galen the stink eye as she left.
Guess I wasn’t the only person on Galilea’s bad side these days.
***
After lunch—and as promised—Galilea kicked my ass in a sparring match. Toward the end of the training session, I decided it was time to let go of my fear of both hurting her and getting hurt by her. Also, she was getting rougher with her punches, and though I told her to ease up, she wouldn’t. It was irritating. She took another swing at me and knocked me to the floor. This time, I could taste the iron from my blood in my mouth. I wiped my lips and saw the smears of red on the palm of my hand. I already had a headache from previous punches she’d landed, and now my mouth was throbbing.
That’s it.